Between trauma, memory and forgetting

a reading of “Moonlight Serenade” by Antonio Carlos Viana

Abstract

Considering literature as a space for the representation, preservation of memory, and problematization of violence, this study aims to conduct an analytical-interpretative reading of the short story “Moonlight Serenade” (2009) by Antonio Carlos Viana. In this regard, particular attention is given to the representation of violence against women, as well as to the mechanisms of domination and appropriation of the female body within a patriarchal society. The methodology adopted is qualitative in nature and is grounded in textual analysis and the cultural model of reading. The theoretical framework draws on contributions from Foucault (1987), Bourdieu (1999), Xavier (2007), and Machado (1999). The analysis thus demonstrates that, when violence against women is normalized, it leaves permanent marks on the victims’ memories, revealing the persistence of trauma and the internalization of guilt. In this way, by requiring readers to take an active role in constructing narrative meanings, the short story problematizes and denounces the patriarchal structure that legitimizes the exploitation of the female body, creating new spaces for discussion of sociocultural issues and challenging the boundaries between fiction and reality.

Submission: Jul 27, 2026 ⊶ Accepted: Sep 23, 2026